Musical instrument body



Dec. 1, 1953 N. u. PRESCOTT MUSICAL INSTRUMENT BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1950 T m. a

Atlorney Dec. 1, 1953 N. u. PRESCOTT ,660,912

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT BODY Filed Feb. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllli 3.9

L l-"anplppppnnnplnpl Attorney Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT BODY Norton U. Prescott, Bath, N. Y.

Application February 1, 1950, Serial No. 141,730

2 Claims. (01. 84-291) The present invention relates to a musical instrument and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and. claimed.

Generally there is provided a stringed musical instrument of the banjo, mandolin or guitar type and which is provided with a neck having a shoulder portion abutting one end of the body of the instrument and extending through the same to the other end of the body where it is anchored by a novel nut and bolt arrangement. The back of the body is of novel construction and is provided with novel bracing means. A resonator is attached to the back of the body by novel means which will be hereinafter set forth in greater detail and the sides of the body itself are formed in a novel manner which provides great strength and superior tonal qualities to the instrument. Novel bracing bars are provided upon either side of the inner extension of the neck and are positioned in such manner that the top of the main body of the instrument is free from all strain with the exception of supporting a bridge thereon to thus provide an instrument of purer tones.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument of the character set forth which is simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and efiicient in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character set forth having novel means for quick and easy assembly and dis assembly.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel construction for the sides of the body of a stringed musical instrument.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for mounting a resonator upon an instrument of the character set forth.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of novel means, of a musical instrument of the character set forth, for supporting the top thereof in a manner free from excessive strain.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view, partly broken away, of an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the inner top 24 and the bottom 25 are which is attached thereto may clear 2 side of a back plate and attendant construction forming a part of the invention,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the inner side of a resonator forming a part of the invention,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 66 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 1-1 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a modified form the invention may assume, and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a modification of the body structure therein shown and as used with the backing plate disclosed in Figure 8.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein a stringed musical instrument having a neck 10 provided with a shoulder I I which abuts against an upper block l2 mounted in one end of the body l3 of the instrument and which neck is provided with a tapered portion l4 which is generally square in cross sectional area and which protrudes through a squared opening IS in the block l2. The lower end of the portion I4 is fastened by means of a bolt l6 which extends through a lower block I1 in the body l3 and which bolt is adapted to engage a nut l8 which is aflixed by means of glue or the like in a transverse recess l9 adjacent the lower end of the portion l4.

The body I3 is provided with a lower rounded portion 20 and a pair of integrally formed ear portions 2| at the upper end thereof. The body I 3 is formed with a continuous side member comprising an outer layer of relatively thin wood 22 inwardly of which is a layer of blocks 23 which extend transversely of the side members and between a top 24 and bottom 25. The blocks 23 are glued to the inner side of the layer 22 and to each other. Completing the construction of the sides of the instrument is an inner layer 26 which is also formed of relatively thin wood and which is glued to the inner faces of the blocks 23. The preferably glued at their outer edges to the top and bottom, respectively, of the side wall construction 22, 23 andv 26.

The outer face of the neck l0 lies in a plane slightly beyond the plane of the outer surface of the top 24 in order that a fretted keyboard 21 the top member 24, as indicated at 28.

A bridge 29 is centrally and transversely mounted upon the outer side of the cover 24. The instrument is provided with a tail piece 30 which is held in position by means of the bolt 16 and upon which extends a plurality of strings 31 which bear against the bridge 20 in a conventional manner and extend to tuning keys 33 at the upper extremity of the neck l0.

At either side of the portion l4 of the neck 10 there is mounted in spaced parallel relation a tie bar 34 each of which is glued at its opposite ends to the blocks 12 and H and to the under side of the top member 24.

The top member 24 is formed of wood and the grain thereof extends generally transversely of the body while the bottom member 25 which is likewise formed of Wood has the grain thereof extending longitudinally of the body of the instrument.

Afiixed to the inner face of the bottom member 25 by means of glue or the like is an upper transverse brace member 35 and, in spaced relation thereto a relatively Wider transverse member 35 and, in spaced relation with the member 36, is a lower transverse brace member 31. The outer ends of the members 35, 36 and 3'! are rounded to conform with the inner adjacent face of the side wall construction which they abut when the bottom is in position as a part of the body l3. An upper sound hole 38 is centrally positioned between the braced members 35 and 36 and a relatively larger sound hole 30 is centrally positioned in the bottom 25 between the braces 36 and 31. A longitudinally extending brace member 40 interconnects the members 35 and 36 adjacent either side of the sound hole 38 and a like pair of members 4| interconnect the brace members 36 and 37 adjacent the opening 39, the members 40 and 4| are preferably glued not only to the adjacent transversely extending brace members but also to the inner face of the bottom member 25.

A resonator 42 is provided and, with regard to its outer edges, is of identical size and shape as the bottom member 25. The resonator is provided with inturned edges 43 and has affixed to its inner side three spacing blocks 44. Bolts 45 extend through the resonator 42 and thence through openings 46 provided in the blocks 44 and thence through the members 35, 36 and 31 and are threaded into nuts 41 which are mounted in blocks 48 which are glued to the members 35, 36 and 31.

It will be seen that the device above described may be assembled and disassembled with ease due to the fact that the portion l4 of the neck is readily insertable into the squared opening l in the block 12 and that this operation is facilitated by means of the tapered construction of the portion 14. Again, it will be apparent that the bolt l6 may be engaged in the nut 18 with case due to the fact that the nut is held in position in the opening 19 by means of glue or the like. Thus the removal of the bolts IE will allow the removal of the neck and also of the tail piece 30 and consequently the strings 3|.

Likewise it will be seen that the resonator 42 may be removed easily and quickly by merely unscrewing the bolts 45 from the permanently mounted nut 41. It will also be seen that the laminated nature of the side wall construction of the body I3 securely supports the top mem ber 24 which is thereby free from any strain whatever with the exception of its own support of the bridge 29 which is thus free to vibrate without being influenced by other factors usually present in musical instruments of this kind.

In the form of the invention disclosed in Fi ures 8 and 9, there is shown a circular body whose similar parts are given identical but primed reference characters of those of the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive.

In this form of the invention it will be apparent that instead of three bolts and the attendant mechanisms therefor, that a single bolt is utilized to hold the resonator thereon, it being understood that the resonator will likewise be circular in shape. It will also be apparent that instead of the three layers 22, 23 and 26 of the construction shown in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, that in the present case only an outside layer 22 and an inner layer of blocks 23 is provided, the inner layer of relatively thin wood 26 being dispensed with.

In both forms of the invention it will be apparent also that the sound holes 38 and 39 or their counterparts 36' and 39 are completely braced by means of the adjacent brace members. It will also be seen that the spacing members '44 act to hold the resonator 42 at a proper distance from the bottom member 25.

While but two forms of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a body having a top, a bottom and laminated sides interconnecting said top and bottom, said laminated sides including an outer layer of thin wood, an inner layer of thin wood, and an intermediate layer of contiguous blocks, said blocks extending between said top and bottom.

2. A device of the character described comprising a body having a top, a bottom having a relatively small and a relatively large sound opening, laminated sides interconnecting said top and bottom, and a resonator mounted in spaced relation to the bottom, said laminated sides including an outer layer of thin wood, an inner layer of thin wood, and an intermediate layer of contiguous blocks, said blocks extending between said top and bottom.

NORTON U. PRESCOTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,631,293 Slingerland -1 June 7, 1927 1,669,250 Kelly May 8, 1928 1,720,270 Grau a- July 9, 1929 1,762,617 Dopyera June 10, 1930 1,804,802 Pastor May 12, 1931 1,959,530 Gerber May 22, 1934 

